The Road to Avalon 1: Mordred at the Circus
by Linorien
Summary: A modern Merlin Fic. What happens when Mordred is reincarnated in the modern world? As proposed by Alex Vlahos, he will end up in a traveling circus! As per request I have extended the story a little. I will write about other character's in separate stories before weaving them all together again.
1. Chapter 1

He climbed to the perch for the trapeze artists and surveyed the nearly full audience who came to see his circus perform. He searched but didn't see Emrys anywhere. He called out mentally but no one responded. He sighed and climbed down. Another night of restless sleep then.

Ever since he had suddenly woken up on an island in Northern Wales, he had been searching for Emrys to explain this strange world to him. When he woke he found that the castles and fortresses he once knew were in ruins. People wore strange clothes and rode around in big metal boxes. It seemed like sorcery to him. Yet he knew it wasn't so.

He didn't know why he came back, he had died after all. But if anyone knew why, it would be Emrys.

"Go get your outfit on, boy!" Mordred grumbled in response and went to his tent. The worst part of this circus was the clothes he was forced to wear. He joined them when they found him wandering aimlessly through the woods. He was still wearing his armour and so they figured he had been a runaway actor. They gave him food and some of the adults took care of him. He was slowly learning the ways of this crazy world. Wearing clothes that glittered though, no amount of explaining could convince him that this was a normal thing to wear. He kept his worn cloak wrapped around him as long as he could. He grudgingly changed into the sparkles and walked to the performance tent. He waited for them to call him out.

"And now, prepare to be amazed, nay, astounded by the next performer. From a time of magic, the myth reborn, put your hands together for Mordred the Magnificent!" He took a deep breath, forced a smile, and walked out to the applause. The introduction was ridiculous but the Ringmaster liked it and Mordred hoped it would catch Emrys's attention. It hadn't worked yet so he continued with his normal performance.

He began by turning off all the lights and instead dimly lit the cavernous tent with floating flames. Though he didn't need his hands to perform the trick, he swirled his hands and the flames began spinning around the room. As the spinning distracted the audience he created the illusion that they had been transported to Camelot, specifically the jousting yard. This was another intended hint to Emrys if he was here. He stopped the lights from spinning and people gasped in amazement as they looked down to see themselves arrayed in normal clothes and the occasional few who had been lucky enough to sit in the pavilion section. Their clothes had changed to be fancier than those of the common village people.

Mordred too had altered his appearance so as to appear as he did when he was a knight while he announced in a booming voice that he would be swallowing a sword. The audience "oooo"ed in anticipation. He pulled out a sword and a sharpie marker.

"I shall lend this sword to someone and they shall mark it so that they know it is the same." He walked over to a young couple in the front row. The man held the sword while the girl wrote their names in a heart on the blade. "An excellent choice," Mordred drawled and took it back.

He twirled the sword dramatically and he walked back towards the center. He reached the center and threw the sword into the air. The audience gasped as he caught the sword by its hilt just before it entered his open mouth. He slowly lowered the blade down his throat. Well, actually he just shrunk the blade as it passed his lips to it never reached his throat. He enlarged it as he drew it back out again to wild applause.

After a short bow, he thrust the sword in the air and began summoning a thunderstorm. Clouds began gathering and swirling around the sky above the sword as his chanting grew louder. Most started to form on the ground and formed a cloud that lifted Mordred higher in the sky. When he was three meters off the ground, the cloud stopped and he threw the sword into the thick swirling cloud that had gathered above him. The sword disappeared and a bolt of lightning cracked down to the area. As the lightning disappeared, so too did all the flames that had previously lit the big tent. Only a semicircle remained to light Mordred in sinister silhouette.

Crouched on one knee, his head bowed, the crowd held its breath as he remained still before throwing his head back and flinging his arms out wide. Flaming arrows burst into existence and a cloud of them shot straight at the crowd. They began their descent.

Suddenly, way before they would've hit anyone, they turned into doves and flew away. Mordred was stunned. That was not what normally happened. They normally became harmless glitter that sparkled as it fell on the delighted audience. This could only mean one thing. Emrys.

As soon as the show ended he ran to the exit to try and spot Emrys. Many faces filed past him but none had that look of magic about him. Dejected and confused, he walked back to his tent. Once inside he stripped out of his glittering outfit and threw on his gray cloak.

"What are you playing at?" Growled a voice from the shadows. Mordred spun and shot a charm in the direction of the voice without thinking. It was deflected without Mordred seeing who the voice belonged to.

"Emrys?" he asked hesitantly in his mind.

"Aye," he replied in mind speak. Emrys stepped out from the shadows. It looked like he hasn't aged a day since Mordred betrayed them and went back to Morgana. A choice he now regretted. "What were you doing back there?" Emrys asked aloud.

"Trying to attract your attention." Mordred snapped out his temporary lack of speech. "It finally worked. Why am I here?" Emrys glared at him.

"I think you have a few things to answer for first. Namely, the murder of Arthur." Suddenly, despite his appearance of a casual young man, he got the look that reminded Mordred that the most powerful sorcerer who had ever walked this earth. Humbled, and a bit scared, Mordred sat down on his bed.

"I'm sorry for that," he spoke to his feet. "I felt bad about it you know. I've had a lot of time to think. I've realized that I wasn't thinking straight when I left you. I was just so mad that Arthur was stubbornly going to execute her. Just because she had magic. It's just not fair."

"I see you've picked up the language fast," Emrys muttered. "Arthur didn't execute her based on her magic. He brought her to court and explained that her magic was irrelevant. He tried to get her to admit that she hadn't intended to kill him. She refused and proudly declared that she wanted to kill him for repressing her kind. I swear, Arthur tried to make her go back on her word, but she wouldn't; he had no choice."

"I should've trusted him," Mordred said sadly.

"Or broken her out of prison in secret. That's what I was going to do," Emrys stared past the walls of the tent to a far distant time when he thought he could settle down with a wife and kids.

"What happened?" Mordred asked. He had not hear of Emrys having a girlfriend, let alone one Arthur wanted to kill.

"She died." Subject closed. "How long have you been here?"

"A few months I reckon. These guys found me wandering confused in the forest. Everything is so strange here. When I told them my name they acted as if we were distant legends told up children. How long has it been since, well," he trailed off uncomfortably.

"It's been close to two thousand years since you killed him at Camlaan." Mordred's eyes widened at the thought. "Close to two thousand years of wandering alone, waiting for his return."

"Whose return?"

"Arthur. It is his fate to be the Once and Future King. In the time of England's greatest need he will come back to me and we will unite the Kingdom once more. It is his destiny."

"And yours, Emrys. But where do I fit into this?"

"You had a destiny too, though you may not have known. You were fated to deal Arthur a mortal blow at Camlaan."

"And that's why you never trusted me. Why you kept trying to leave me behind." Mordred felt the anger abating that he had been unaware of. "How long have you known?"

"Since you came to Morgana as a small child. Kilgharrah warned me that the two of you would form a deadly alliance and murder Arthur." His voice spoke of deep regret. "He told me to kill you then and there. It wasn't until many years later when I began to trust him. Far too late. By the time you came back with us, you had all the knights in your hand. There was nothing I could do. Our fate had been sealed."

"Couldn't you have stopped me at the battle?" Mordred asked.

"I was too late. Morgana had trapped me and taken my magic. I'm not sure you can imagine what that felt like. I felt I had nothing to live for. I almost did not go on." They sat in silence.

"But you did regain your magic," Mordred asked quietly. "How? I witnessed Morgana doing the same to someone else and they died."

"Long story." Emrys waved his hand to dismiss the thought. "I warned Arthur that your forces would be attacking from the back and then I set off for Camlaan. After a long ride, I made it just before you found Arthur. I was doing my best to hold off the rest of the forces while I was looking for Arthur. I only found him when I felt you stabbing him in the gut." Emrys sank slowly into a chair. "I had hoped I would never have to see that vision come true."

"All the lightning, that was you?" Mordred asked incredulously. He nodded.

"A few days later I had to bury Arthur. I threw Excalibur back in the lake. And I have been waiting for his return ever since. The tower that marks his grave has been falling into ruins, I once feared it was like an hourglass; once it fell completely, Arthur would come striding out of the lake and meet me on its shores."

"What made you change your mind?"

"You." Mordred raised his eyebrows. "Or rather you made me sure. The world has been falling into increasing decay. There were times in the past when I thought for sure that Arthur would come, but I see now that those problems needed modern solutions. The way the world is now, though, some very old solutions may be the best way to fix things. There has been an increase in druid activity lately too. Of course, most people do not know it is them, but I have kept my eyes open. Yours was not the first traveling circus I visited either. I investigated one many years ago when they were advertising the man you couldn't die. I thought maybe it was Arthur. Your were more obvious though."

"I did it intentionally to attract your attention."

"How did you know I was alive?"

"I didn't know why I was alive either, but I figured if anyone would know it would be you so I prayed to the gods that I would find you."

"I'm afraid I do not know why you are here either." He got up and began to pace the length of the tent. "I have not heard of anyone else coming back; I didn't think anyone else was going to. Perhaps it is time for a new Camelot and all the knights are needed to help Arthur. It's possible that the gods have decided to give you another chance." He stopped pacing and looked Mordred in the eye. "Do you want to come with me?"

"What?" Mordred was stunned. "But you hate me! With good reason too."

"I hated you and feared you because I had seen a vision of you killing Arthur. Seeing as he's currently dead, I don't have to worry about that. I know my power is stronger than yours. And it has been lonely these past centuries. I would be glad of some familiar company."

"I can't just run away though, the ringmaster would put up posters and then there would be people looking for me."

"You say they found you in the woods, right?" Mordred nodded. "Then they should believe if your very old grandfather came to claim you at last." Suddenly Emrys no longer looked like a young man, but resembled an elderly figure with a long white beard. Mordred cracked a smile. "Pack up your things, my boy. It's time I took you to Avalon."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: People begged me to write more, and you got lucky that I had a long train ride to think and suddenly come up with an idea. So here you go. I will probably write one more chapter from Mordred's perspective then move on to the others.**

* * *

Emrys led Mordred to a cave near a small fishing village near the coast. He walked inside and silently conjured a bright light to light the way. It floated along just behind Emrys, giving his shadow a harsh blue outline. The ground was flat, but rough enough that they did not need to fear slipping. After walking a while, Merlin took a sharp turn to the left and slipped through a small opening Mordred hadn't noticed. Ducking through, he felt a slight tingling sensation.

"A minor barrier to keep out those who do not have magic," he said in response to Mordred's unspoken question.

"Has anyone found the doorway so far?"

"Once someone did," he replied. "But they had new technology that helped them to find it. The confusion on their faces was great when they could not walk past the barrier yet their instruments told them that there was a giant cavern right around the corner." And as they turned into the cavern, Mordred's jaw dropped in awe.

Before him was an elegantly decorated room, with a waterfall at the far end. All around the room were shelves stocked with many different books and bottles of chemicals. Tables scattered throughout the room held various contraptions from across the decades with models of catapults next to a computer with a huge wall mounted monitor. There were couches and hand carved wooden chairs, small potted plants and robots, even a crossbow that shot paintballs. Mordred could hardly process it all.

"It got boring waiting for everyone," Emrys shrugged. "I didn't know how long it would be so I picked up some new hobbies. Here, let's get you some better clothes." He walked over to a wall and pressed him hand against it. Muttering under his breath, the wall slid back to reveal a large walk-in closet. He motioned for Mordred to join him. "Since I'm taking you to Avalon, it is acceptable to wear clothes similar to what you were used to. I will, though, have to force you to wear more modern clothes later if we are to avoid unwanted attention. News spreads faster than a wildfire here and we don't really want to be bothered. Now, clothes. All of these are your size, here in the back is what you are more used to wearing. Dress like you are going to court; no armor necessary." And with that he walked out of the closet to leave Mordred to change.

Bewildered, Mordred scanned the racks of clothes and settled on a simple red shirt with an embroidered dragon on the sleeve and grey trousers. High black boots and he felt comfortable for the first time since waking up in this strange new world. Squaring his shoulders, he walked out of the closet with his other clothes in hand. "Where should I put my other clothes?"

"Throw them in, they will clean and hang themselves." Mordred threw the clothes into the opening. As they crossed the threshold they were suddenly whisked away and the cave door slid shut. "There is some supper on the table by the stream if you are hungry. I must change as well" Strolling back over to the closet, he opened the door and disappeared inside. Mordred, suddenly very hungry now that food was mentioned, walked to the table by the stream. Well, by the stream was incorrect, for the table and chairs were actually in the spring itself. Mordred slipped off his boots and waded to the chair. The water was refreshing and the slight currents swirling around his feet when he sat felt wonderful on his weary feet. He gratefully ate the tomato soup before him and had moved onto the steak when Emrys joined him.

He was looking resplendent in a royal purple embroidered with golden flowers along the hems. Dark blue trousers with a red stripe down the side and black boots made him look very official. A navy blue cape flowed behind him and seemed to shimmer like water as he moved. A thin silver circlet rested gently on his dark hair. A more kingly figure had not been since in a very long time. Mordred had a strange desire to get up and bow before him, but shock kept him seated. These clothes seemed far more suitable than any of the servant's gear he had worn at Camelot. Emrys appeared oblivious to Mordred's amazement and jumped into his seat, landing cross-legged to keep his feet dry. Grabbing the wine first he quickly ate and told Mordred to hurry.

"The barrier is thinnest at sundown so we need to leave soon." When they finished eating, Emrys levitated the dirty dishes into the sink and they began to wash themselves. "Put your boots on and follow me." `

Emrys lead the way to the back of the cave and ducked through the waterfall, an invisible shield seemed to deflect the water as they passed underneath however. On the other side, the small stream had become a river with a small sailboat tied to one side. Emrys motioned for Mordred to step in. He had never been in a boat before and was a little unsettled by the constant motion.

"Best sit down and hold on to the side," Emrys said as he untied the ropes. "It may take you a while to grow your sea legs." He threw the ropes in and jumped in the boat. He raised the sail and added a slight breath of wind to move the boat out into the sunlight. One outside of the cave, Emrys let the natural wind take over whole he controlled the sail in his left hand, the tiller in his right.

"Couldn't you use magic to control the boat?" Mordred asked, seeing the awkward stretching he was doing to adjust the sail.

"Aye, I could do that," he replied. "But sailing has always been something I wanted to learn. And the feel of the ship under your hand; it's like she's alive." He smiled. "I've named her Freya. I only use magic when there's no wind. And that's only if I have to take her out."

After that, it was quiet sailing. Mordred was in the front, watching the water flow past as they tacked into the sunset. The falling sun was turning the already bright yellow sail, into a glowing orange. The magnificent flower near the top of the tall sail seemed to shimmer and never really settle on a color, but it was always some shade of red.

The sun fell until it touched the horizon, the sky a brilliant mix of magenta and red lighting up the clouds. Then, almost imperceptibly, the sun began to rise again. The sky lightened, turning back to a light blue. Mordred turned to mention this strange phenomenon to Emrys, but he could see that he had expected this.

"We've have passed into the other realm." He nodded to the right. "Over there is the island." He thrust the rudder and let the sail catch the strong wind. As he adjusted the direction, they picked up speed until they were soaring across the lake. The sky continued to lighten and soon they were pulling into the harbor. A man dressed in a simple white shirt and trousers, helped guide the boat gently into the slip and tie it up.

"Good morning, Master Emrys." He offered his hand to help Mordred out of the boat. "I see you have found one of your old friends."

"Indeed. Mordred, this is Peter, my boat-hand. I have not yet met anyone more knowledgeable about the sea in all my years. Peter, this is Sir Mordred, a knight of the Round Table and a druid."

"Honored to meet you, sir." Peter bowed. "Welcome to Avalon, the eternal lands"


	3. Chapter 3

Emrys led the way down the lane into the city. It was a sprawl of houses, ranging from the simple to the borderline ridiculous. Emrys explained that here, everyone was entitled to their own house. And since everyone here had magic, it could look like whatever they wanted. Some people even changed it weekly, deciding one day they like the look of a colonial mansion, and the next week reverting to a small ranch. As they walked down the lane, everyone called out greetings to Emrys, many bowing as well. Confused, Mordred asked him why.

"Ah I was wondering when you would ask that. Just as Arthur was the ruler of Camelot, you could say I am the ruler of Avalon." Mordred looked stunned. "It's nothing big really. They chose me to be their leader. I think it was the remaining druids that mustered the huge support for me."

"Do you live in a castle then?"

"No," Emrys laughed. "I am among those who prefer a simple abode. I will take you to the castle though. No one really lives here so it is our Hotel Avalon, as we call it. The local inn," he added, remembering to watch his vocabulary. "You shall be staying here until a plot of land can be found for you to call your own. I'm sure the grounds committee has already had some ideas of where to place you." They continued walking in silence until they came to the gates of the castle. The great castle loomed above them as they strode up to the guards.

"Declare yourselves."

"Merlin Emrys, Lord of Avalon and Steward of the High Throne, yadda yadda, you know the rest." He seemed exasperated that he needed to do this each time. "This is Sir Mordred, druid and Knight of the Round table, my guest. He will need a room to stay in."

"Yes sir." And he hurried off to tell one of the servants.

"You have an even longer title now?" Mordred asked in amazement as they walked through the archway.

"Yea," Emrys sighed. "Duke of some places, there's some redundant honors thrown in that they seem to want me to say every time. I think I must have more than Arthur by now." He turned and looked at Mordred. "You'll gain some too. They love throwing new titles at everyone who comes. But, allow me to show you around the castle.

"You'll find it is very similar to Camelot. Dining hall is here," he said as they peeked through an open door. "Further down the hall the other way is the throne room. Nothing much goes on there. About once a month we hold court and occasionally a wedding ceremony happens there. But down here," he pushed open the huge wooden doors at the end of the hallway to revel a large room empty except for a large round table with chairs in the center.

"Is that what I think that is?"

"The very round table from Camelot," he said with a huge smile on his face. "I saved it when Camelot fell into ruins and brought it here. Since you died, it has become a symbol of equality all across the Western world. But here she waits for everyone's return."

"Why am I first?"

"Perhaps it is because you are a druid. Perhaps because you have the most to make up for; you did kill Arthur after all." Mordred winced. "Or perhaps it is for some reason that none of us are privy to and will never know. We can only accept the facts and carry on."

Mordred looked out from the balcony of his temporary room in the castle. So much seemed to have changed in the world since he left it, yet many things remained the same as well. The outside world seemed to be a world without magic, no one believed him when he told the ringmaster that his tricks were magic. They only assumed he did not want to share his secret. Yet it was also full of a different magic. The strange carriages they people drove and the way a piece of glass could show you what was happening across the world.

And then here in Avalon, magic was what made the place run. No one hid their powers and they used it to do the most mundane tasks. There didn't seem to be a structure to the daily lives of people, yet everything ran smoothly.

Then there was Emrys, the Lord of Avalon. It was a far cry from the manservant he had been in Camelot. Yet, a part of his mind kept reminding him that this was what all the tales he had heard as a young druid. They spoke of Emrys like a god who would save Albion and bring magic back to the land. Some believed he was the greatest sorcerer who had ever lived and was more powerful than anyone who were to come. It was common knowledge that he would do all this saving and restoring with Arthur by his side as king. But maybe they were missing a piece of the story. The Emrys he had seen recently was more in control of his powers than ever before. He had seen Emrys change his appearance before to fool Arthur, but it had never been instantaneous. He seemed to hardly use words to work his magic, and if he looked closely, there seemed to be a thin border of gold around his eyes that never went away.

But that was a mystery for another time. Emrys said he would stay here for a few days to help Mordred settle in before going back into the world. He figured that others may soon be following and it would be best to find them before they got out of hand. Especially if Gawain managed to find a bar.

And with that thought, Mordred turned from the window and lay down on the soft bed to get some well deserved sleep.

THE END


End file.
